Networking by day beats partying at night as Europe’s festivals move with the times

http://www.theguardian.com/culture/2015/mar/29/music-festivals-networking-education-conferences

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Festivals used to be all about late nights and hazy days – but now, audiences are looking for a more educational experience and an increasing number of events around the world are offering music talks, workshops and panel discussions. Networking in the day and partying at night is becoming the new norm.

The change is due partly to audiences searching for a more sophisticated holiday experience, as well as a growing number of people trying to make it as music producers and looking to learn the magic formula from others.

In addition to new festivals emerging to meet this demand, established events are hosting areas where punters can try out equipment and learn from musicians. This year, Croatia’s leading festival, Outlook, which is held in an abandoned fort in Pula, is ramping up its “Knowledge Arena”, a cross between a working musicians’ studio and a trade fair, on the beach amid the revellers. There will be lectures from artists and DJs, and software companies such as Ableton and Serato will give festivalgoers the chance to try out new technology.

“Audiences are now rejecting the traditional top-down, spoon-fed music event and curators are having to work hard to stay ahead of the curve,” said John Alexiou, founder of audio technology company SubPac, which will be hosting a daytime space at the Knowledge Arena.

“Exploration has become a big part of the festival experience and crowds are increasingly keen to get immersed into the latest technologies and learn about the industry from their favourite artists.”

Although some festivals, such as Texas’s SXSW, Sonar in Barcelona and Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE), have been doing this for a while, organisers say the daytime programmes are becoming more popular.

Richard Zijlma, general manager of ADE, said that the business conference side of the festival has grown quickly over the last three years and, with guest speakers such as Detroit’s techno pioneers Robert Hood and Juan Atkins this year, it is now the primary focus. “It’s taken off in a way we couldn’t have imagined,” said Zijlma. “This year we are expecting around 5,500 conference visitors and we’ve got panellists from all sides of the industry, from artists, managers, technology and social media experts, to environmental speakers, composers and radio representatives.”

According to avant-garde musician Matthew Herbert, who recently spoke about music, art and technology alongside trip-hop rapper Tricky at London’s new Convergence festival, the popularity of educational music events such as this is inevitable. “Now, more than ever, there is a real appetite to explore the creative process,” he said.

“In the past, we had more straightforward information about our favourite music via record sleeves, TV appearances and carefully controlled industry-led narratives about how and why the music was made,” he said. “These days, places like iTunes are almost entirely devoid of anything but the barest of information relating to the music. These festivals are encouraging a dialogue where previously the artists were unreachable. To me it feels logical.”

Another explanation is found in the dance music revival. As well as wanting to understand the creativity of others, young musicians are increasingly looking for the magic formula to take them to the next level of success. “This could be a production tip, a unique mic, a special mixing desk or a meeting with an influential person,” said Herbert. “There is so much music being made now that it has become a disposable product and it’s harder to make a long-term career from it when there’s so many people fighting for space. These lineups are about sharing ideas and getting your music noticed.”

Glenn Max, curator of Convergence, agreed, adding: “After 30-40 years of festival culture, including its peak as an industry in the last 10 years, audiences today are looking for a more complete experience. They want to see their favourite artists speaking about their own creative development, be a part of a conversation and use some brainpower before they party.”